The Libro de las profecías of Christopher Columbus: An en face edition

by Delno C. West (Editor), August Kling (Editor)

“Perhaps the most important single volume on Columbus ever published in English…The authors’ classification of Columbus’s piety as ‘evangelical’ will be controversial but is exactly right He as as cosmopolitan in his piety as in his cosmography….This is a marvelously well-written and organized study that has all the authority of deep scholarship.” –Leonard Sweet, president, Union Theological Seminary, Dayton, OhioThe book in which Christopher Columbus explains his vision to his king and queen is now available for the first time in English. Columbus compiled the Libro in 1501-1502 after returning in chains from his third voyage to the New World. He hoped that his notebook of biblical prophecies would inspire King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to finance a fourth trip for him, one that would allow them to fulfill millennial prophecies of becoming monarchs of the New JerusalemThough historians and biographers agree that the document is authentic, until now it has been available only to multilingual scholars. Even those with access to the work paid it slight attention, viewing it as an unimportant excursion into fanaticism that occurred late in the explorer’s life.The commentators argue that apocalyptic thought played a significant role in Columbus’s grand scheme throughout his life and that biblical prophecies were a major factor motivating his explorations, backing their claims with analyses of his intellectual and cultural background, the apocalyptic thought in Spain at the time, and other writings by his contemporariesThe Libro de las profecías was compiled under the direction of Columbus by his thirteen-year-old son Ferdinand, his close friend Father Gaspar Gorricio, and other clerics. It is reproduced in this handsome volume, with the original Latin and Spanish texts and the English translation on facing pages, as the second title in the Columbus Quincentennary Series.Delno C. west, a research fellow at the Center for Theological Inquiry at Princeton, is professor of history at Northern Arizona University. He is coauthor of Christopher Columbus: The Great Adventure and Joachim of Fiore: A Study in Spiritual Perception and History.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 1991

Reviews

[Clark Hinckley]

This is the first complete English translation of Columbus's "Book of Prophecies," a notebook of prophetic statements compiled by Christopher Columbus. The translation is excellent, and the introductory commentary is equally excellent. West does not try and impose any ulterior motives on Columbus; he lets Columbus speak for himself and takes him at face value. This is a key document for any student of Columbus.

Another English translation was published in 1997 (translation by Blair Sullivan with historical and textual editing by Roberto Rusconi). Blair and Rusconi had access to a better text that that used by West, but there are few differences. Rusconi's commentary focuses primarily on textual and historical issues, whereas West focuses on historical commentary and commentary on what the document tells us about Columbus. Both Rusconi and West are very useful.

Both are scholarly works and not intended for casual reading. If I could own just one of these volumes, it would be the one by West, but serious students of Columbus's writings will want to be familiar with both.

[Paul Black]

Returning in chains from his 3rd voyage, Columbus collected quotes from Scripture, both the Old and the New Testaments, with prophecies about the Gospel going to the "islands of the sea" and the blessings it would bring. He also collected explanations and writings. All this was for a book to communicate his vision and to inspire the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to be a part of fulfilling prophecies. In the preface the author explain that Columbus was not a greedy, confused old fool, but was well read, deeply spiritual, and quite educated. Columbus knew that he was called of God to open new parts of the world for the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Well did Nephi say that "the Spirit of God ... wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters ..."